Hot Springs National Park
Fountain Trail
FamiliesDog WalkersTrail Connectors
0 mi Distance
25 min Estimated Time
Out & Back Trail Type
What to Expect
The Fountain Trail is a connector, not a destination — and knowing that going in changes everything. Starting on Fountain Street, it climbs a surprisingly assertive slope (nearly 10% grade) for a tenth of a mile before crossing Hot Springs Mountain Drive and linking up with the Honeysuckle Trail network. The pavement is smooth and the path is short enough that the incline barely registers as effort, but you will feel it in your calves if you push the pace. Tall hardwoods and the forested hillside of Hot Springs Mountain close in on either side, giving it a tucked-away feel even though you're steps from downtown. This trail is the handshake between the urban thermal district below and the wooded ridge trails above — use it as your on-ramp to longer exploration.
Trail Details
Estimated Time 25 min
Trail Type Out & Back
Pets Dogs allowed (leash required)
Season Year-round
Trailhead Fountain Trail
- 1
Park on Fountain Street or in one of the Central Avenue lots and use this trail as your walking entry point to Hot Springs Mountain Drive — it saves you from hiking alongside traffic on the main road.
- 2
The trail is listed as wheelchair accessible, but the 9.8% grade is toward the steeper end for mobility devices — have a second person along for assist on the ascent if needed.
- 3
Use this as your gateway to Honeysuckle Trail for a longer loop: head up via Fountain, pick up Honeysuckle, and loop back down through the park for a proper hillside ramble that still gets you back to the bathhouses in under an hour.
Photos
NPS Photo/Mitch Smith
